Saint Augustine of Canterbury

Augustine of Canterburywas a Benedictine monk who became the first Archbishop of Canterbury in the year 597. He is considered the "Apostle to the English" and a founder of the English Church.On ahill overlooking the city of Canterbury in England stands a beautiful little church dedicated to St Martin of Tours. The Romano-British tiles can still be seen jutting from the ancient stonework. This was the first spiritual home of Augustineand his monks. A mile or so from St Martin’s Church there now stands the modern Anglican Church of Bertha the Queen in the middle of a large housing estate. The See of Canterbury, with all that it means, derives from the faith of this Christian lady and her chaplain who was the first Archbishop of the English.

More about Augustine:Augustine was the prior of a monastery in Rome when Pope Gregory the Great chose him in 595 to lead a mission to Britain, usually known as the Gregorian mission, to Christianise King Ethelbert and his Kingdom of Kentfrom Anglo-Saxon paganism. Kent was probably chosen because Ethelbert had married a Christian princess, Bertha, daughter of Charibert the King of Paris. She was expected to exert some influence over her husband.Before reaching Kent, the missionaries had considered turning back, but Gregory urged them on, and in 597, Augustine landed on the Isle of Thanet and proceeded to Ethelbert’s main town of Canterbury.King Ethelbert converted to Christianity and allowed the missionaries to preach freely, giving them land to found a monastery outside the city walls.

Augustine was consecrated as a bishopand converted many of the king's subjects, including thousands during a mass baptism on ChristmasDay in 597. Pope Gregory sent more missionaries in 601, along with encouraging letters and gifts for the churches, although attempts failed to persuade the native Celticbishops to submit to Augustine's authority. Roman bishops were established at London and Rochester in 604, and a school was founded to train Anglo-Saxonpriests and missionaries. Augustine also arranged the consecration of his successor, Laurence of Canterbury. The Archbishop probably died in 604 and his Patronal Festival is celebrated on 26 May

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